


inside and out

by magebird



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Aftercare, Anal Hook, BDSM, Bad Communication, Blow Jobs, Bondage, Butt Plugs, Chastity Device, Cock & Ball Torture, Cock Cages, Cock Slapping, Collars, Dominance, Gags, Hand Jobs, Impact Play, M/M, Orgasm Control, Overstimulation, Post-Orgasm Torture, Posture Collar, Power Play, Riding Crops, Rope Bondage, Safeword Use, Sounding, Spreader Bars, Submission, Suspension, Training, Vibrators, cock torture, penis gag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-07-24 11:26:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7506439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magebird/pseuds/magebird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack lets Gabriel have control.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【翻译】Inside and Out 从内至外 by magebird 07.15更新完结](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11396976) by [batcat229](https://archiveofourown.org/users/batcat229/pseuds/batcat229)



If he had to pinpoint when he’d decided to give Gabriel control of his cock, Jack wasn’t sure if he could have done it. There hadn’t been any firm decision, just a slow handing over of more and more power until Gabriel was the one calling the shots.

It had started out casually enough. A few exchanged handjobs when the locker rooms were empty at headquarters and they both needed the release. Jack liked the way Gabriel’s cologne smelled and Gabriel always laughed and murmured encouragement in Spanish when Jack was touching him just right. The feeling of a firm hand in the hair at the nape of his neck became familiar, and the first time Gabriel pressed him down onto his knees and fucked his throat, Jack just expected that it would become another back-and-forth favor they exchanged.

Gabriel never blew him in return, though, which at first didn’t seem that unusual. Even when Jack realized they’d had the time and opportunity, it just felt natural for him to be the one on his knees and Gabriel leaning over him, thrusting slowly into his mouth and calling him gorgeous. Sometimes Gabriel would reach down to finish Jack off with his hand, but more and more often as things progressed it would just be a boot pressed between his legs for him to rut against or Gabriel urging him to stroke himself while he had a cock thrusting deep into his throat.

Far from feeling unfair, Jack started to find the dynamic arousing in and of itself. They never talked about what went on between them, but even if they had, Jack would have been embarrassed to mention how much he liked Gabriel putting his own pleasure before Jack’s and taking exactly what he wanted. When they hadn’t been together for a while, Jack would bring himself off with the fingers of his free hand pressed deep into his throat.

“I’m going to tie you up,” Gabriel said one day as Jack was kneeling in front of him in Gabriel’s quarters, naked and waiting. Gabriel was still dressed, all in black as usual. Jack knew that it was a request, but it made him shiver to imagine that he wasn’t being given a choice. Wordlessly, he held his hands out in front of him, wrists together, and saw a little smile twitch Gabriel’s lips. “Behind you.”

Gabriel used a pair of their standard-issue wrist restraints, ones that Jack had actually tried before to ensure their security, but this time the pressure of them went straight to his cock and by the time Gabriel circled back around to his front, there was a drop of wetness threatening to drip down his length. That got Gabriel to smile again, and he dropped down into a relaxed squat, reaching out to run a finger over his slit and smear the pre-come across the head of his cock. Jack grunted softly, angling his hips forward to chase Gabriel’s hand as he drew it away.

“I--” Jack started, but Gabriel gave him a slight frown.

“Do you need me to stop?” he asked and when Jack shook his head he went on, “Then you only talk when I ask you a question. Otherwise I’ll gag you.”

Jack flushed, his light skin going pink from hairline to chest, and his cock twitched visibly. Gabriel noticed at once, reaching out to give him another teasing touch with just a single finger. “You like the idea. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Gabriel stood straight again, freeing his half-hard cock from his pants with quick, efficient motions. Jack knew just how to drop his mouth open and angle his head so that Gabriel could slide right into his throat on the first thrust, and with how familiar he’d grown with the shape and size of him, he barely gagged. Gabriel’s hand found purchase in his hair, his scarred knuckles bulging slightly as he gripped tight and began to guide Jack’s head. It was easiest to just relax and let him take the lead, focusing entirely on keeping his throat relaxed. There had been a time when having Gabriel sliding deep like this threatened to bring up his lunch, but as Jack had gotten more used to the sensation and his body adjusted, he was more and more able to handle it. Gabriel liked that, but there were days when he would shove his fingers deeper than his cock could go just to make Jack shake and retch and lean against his thigh panting and nuzzling in for more.

Jack had at first wondered what it meant about him that he craved this sort of treatment and so willingly accepted Gabriel doling it out, but it hadn’t changed anything in the field, so his worries about it affecting the important things faded quickly. Gabriel was his commanding officer whenever they were on a mission, but Jack knew that authority differed from what he got when they were alone. Sure, the occasional barked command could send a jolt somewhere it didn’t need to be, but that couldn’t be all that unusual.

When Gabriel came, he liked to pull out enough that it spilled over Jack’s tongue, making him taste it and smearing it over his lips. Jack knew it was degrading on some level, but the way Gabriel would grab his face and force him to look up made him melt into it and associated the taste with a deep sort of satisfaction and arousal that always settled low in his stomach. Gabriel always told him when he could swallow, and Jack obeyed, though before he’d had this man’s cock in his mouth he’d always spat it off to the side.

The encounters became more regular as they moved away from acting as though they just happened upon each other without expectations. Jack would arrive in Gabriel’s room to find restraints readied and supplies prepared. They rarely went to Jack’s quarters, but that was probably preferable. Having to cart whatever Gabriel wanted to use halfway across the base seemed like asking for unwanted scrutiny. Besides, it became something of a ritual for Jack to bathe, dress in clothes that could easily be taken off, and make the walk from his room to Gabriel’s.

The little brass-colored device could have been an electric toothbrush if it had bristles, and Jack frowned at it as Gabriel secured his wrists and ankles to the wooden chair facing the bed. It was a new acquisition, apparently, and had a long black cord leading to the wall. Gabriel looped something around Jack’s throat, forcing him to lean back as it was pulled taut, and after a moment of squirming he realized it was a leather collar secured somehow to the back of the chair to really immobilize him.

“You remember that you can speak to stop me?” Gabriel asked, his voice as casual as if he were asking Jack to pass the salt in the mess hall. Jack nodded, wetting his lips with his tongue, and saw the little flash of a smile that always felt more rewarding than any praise. Gabriel picked up the strange little device, flicking a switch on its side, and immediately it began a high-pitched buzzing, making it very clear it was some sort of vibrator. Jack had played with such toys before-- usually cheap, plastic things that burnt out after a month or so-- but this one seemed more industrial and more daunting than he’d ever seen before.

Gabriel turned the thing back off, setting it down again, then came to draw another chair up in front of Jack’s. He smelled like soap and his spicy cologne, and Jack leaned forward as much as he could against the collar around his throat, breathing him in and trying to calm his racing heart. Gabriel’s hands popped open the button of Jack’s pants, tugging the zipper open and palming him through his underwear. Jack sighed, dropping his head back and closing his eyes, enjoying the tender touch, but it only went on for a moment or two before Gabriel carefully freed his cock, tucking the elastic of his underwear under his balls. Even though he was nearly fully clothed, Jack felt more exposed than ever like this, with Gabriel given full access to his length and with nothing he could do to stop him.

Gabriel turned to grab a pump-top bottle of lube from the bed where it had been sitting, coating his hand liberally before taking Jack’s cock and gently stroking along it. Jack had been mostly soft, but the firm, practised touch had his arousal growing steadily, his hips shifting as much as he could manage as Gabriel pumped his length. Really, it was rather clinical-- Gabriel gave him several strokes and, once his length was fully hard, released him. He took the brass-colored device again, turning it on, and then brought it to rest against the underside of Jack’s cock, just below the head.

The intensity was enough to make Jack cry out involuntarily, white light bursting at the edges of his vision. Whatever this thing was, it was no ordinary vibrator, and he immediately tried to jerk away in surprise. Gabriel’s fingers grabbed his cock again, holding it in place, and he moved the rounded tip of the vibrator up towards Jack’s slit, making him gasp and bite back a curse. The shock faded, but the intensity didn’t, and Jack kept jerking against his restraints, trying to reach up and but Gabriel’s little torture device away as it buzzed relentlessly against the underside of his cockhead.

“Gabriel--” he gasped after what couldn’t have been more than forty seconds of the torment. “Please--”

The vibrator pulled away, and Jack blinked tears from his eyes, focusing on the concerned look on Gabriel’s face.

“Do you want me to let you go?” Gabriel asked, resting a hand on Jack’s thigh. Jack was panting, and he took a moment to consider. Gabriel probably wouldn’t stop if he kept him here, and Jack wasn’t sure how much he could hand in silence. But, somewhere deep, he was already craving that sensation again. It was the kind of thing that conquered his whole body, his whole awareness, and he wanted it.

“Gag me,” he said after a moment more, hands clenching and relaxing. “I can’t be quiet.”

Gabriel nodded, setting his toy down and standing again. It took him a moment to dig the gag from a bag under his bed, but he returned before long, holding it out in front of Jack’s mouth. It was the type of gag with a long shaft that extended into the wearer’s mouth, not quick deep enough to touch the back of the throat, and Jack opened his mouth wide to accept it as Gabriel buckled it around his face. They’d found it was the best way to keep him silent, and the intractable presence of a length almost choking him could get him hard all by itself. Not that he needed much help in this situation.

Settling himself back in the chair, Gabriel barely waited a moment for Jack to settle before turning the toy back on and getting to work again. Jack wouldn’t have described his cock as particularly oversensitive before, but the amount of direct attention just to the head was sending bright sparks right through him, and he choked out a cry around the gag in his mouth, his whole body jerking forward to try and curl in and protect himself from the onslaught. Gabriel was completely calm, working the toy in little circles around the rim of Jack’s cockhead before angling it up to press against his slit.

The tension coiled tighter and tighter in Jack’s stomach, painful and sharp, and he could barely breathe by the time he felt himself barreling towards the edge. When his whimpers took on a desperate pitch, Gabriel settled the tip of the vibrator right at the underside of his cock where the large vein angled into the head. Jack’s whole body shook, and when he finally came it shot out forcefully enough to splatter across Gabriel’s black t-shirt.

The aftershocks made Jack tremble, and he expected Gabriel to pull the vibrator away from his cock and let him recover, but the stimulation continued. Within moments, Jack found that the spasms deep at the root of his cock were becoming agonizing instead of pleasurable, and he tried to beg through the gag with no success. Shaking his head just made the collar dig into his neck, and he could do little more than thrash helplessly as Gabriel pressed in more firmly and milked the last dribble of come from his cock. It could only have lasted half a minute or so, but Jack collapsed in his bonds when Gabriel finally let him have relief, his eyes wet and his mouth working around the cock gag.

“Good boy,” Gabriel said, and Jack whimpered. He was only half aware of Gabriel standing and setting the toy aside, then the gag slid out of his mouth only to be replaced by a very real cock that was hard, hot, and throbbing slightly against Jack’s tongue.

“Next time, I’m going to keep going until you really can’t stand it,” Gabriel said, making Jack moan around his length. If that had only been what Gabriel thought he could stand, Jack couldn’t imagine how bad it could be. Still, as he tilted his head up to take Gabriel deeper into his mouth, the soothing touch of his hand stroking his hair made the shaking face into something warm and good. Gabriel was pleased with him. He could take it if it was what he wanted. As Gabriel came down his throat, Jack wondered if next time he could suck him off while the torturous little toy was on him.

It took a good half hour of lying sprawled on Gabriel’s bed before Jack felt solid enough to pull himself together and head back to his own room. Gabriel sat next to him the whole while, reading something on his phone with his other hand resting gently on the small of Jack’s back.

The brass toy-- Jack learned from Gabriel that it was called an eroscillator-- made an appearance at almost every session from then on. The sheer power of it was enough to catapult Jack towards overstimulation almost instantly, but that seemed to be a plus in Gabriel’s opinion. He would hold it against Jack’s cock long after he’d spent just to get him jerking and wailing in discomfort, but the rush of endorphins when the torment finally ceased left Jack light-headed and craving a cock in his mouth.

The next time something new appeared, Jack knew what it was and almost balked at once. The case of slim metal rods, varying in size from a chopstock to the circumference of a beer bottle neck, was laid open on Gabriel’s bed when Jack arrived and he knew immediately what they were and what they were for.

Gabriel was still washing up in the attached bathroom, and Jack stood looking at the sounding rods for a long moment as he listened to the uneven splashing of the water down the drain. He’d trusted Gabriel with everything he could so far, but this seemed like it might be a step more than he was willing to take. Things outside of this room had become more complicated as hierarchy was rearranged, leaving Jack officially in charge, but Jack had been determined not to let that change their enjoyment of each other. Still, he could sense that Gabriel was angry. Was it really wise to let him have his way when it meant an activity that could so easily cause real damage? The pain from overstimulation was never something that lasted. This was something entirely more worrying.

Gabriel stuck his head out from the bathroom and Jack realized he’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t heard the shower turn off.

“What’s wrong?” Gabriel asked, reading Jack’s face instantly. He followed his gaze to the rods. 

“I’ve never done it before,” Jack said. Gabriel stepped into the main room, wearing a towel around his waist, and came over to stand near Jack.

“I won’t do it if you don’t want it,” Gabriel said.

“Let me think about it,” Jack said. “Not this time.”

Gabriel nodded, turning back towards the bathroom and running a hand through his wet hair. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you want it first.”

Gabriel was good to his word, leaving the rods untouched as he tormented Jack’s cock in every other way he could. He’d set up Jack’s chair so he was facing the bed again, though, and focused so much attention on his slit that by the time Jack came all he could think about was what it would feel like to have something slip inside of him. Over the next week, things were too busy for them to spend any time together, but when he jerked himself off in the shower Jack kept working his thumb against his hole, wondering if it would burn as one of the rods stretched him open.

When Gabriel finally told him to come by again, Jack was eager, and he saw to his relief that the rods were laid out again. Gabriel secured him to the chair as usual, then asked, “Are you ready for them now?”

How he had known that all Jack would need was a week to consider wasn’t clear, but Jack nodded in reply and got that small smile from him. 

Despite his eagerness, it took Jack a little longer to get hard than usual. Perhaps his cock was rebelling against the torment that his mind wanted, but Gabriel had to work him for a long time to get him fully hard. His warm hand held Jack’s length upright, thumb brushing across his slit, and he selected one of the slimmer rods, though not the smallest.

“Breathe,” he reminded him, dabbing the tip in some lube and then gently resting it against Jack’s slit at an angle. “In… and out….”

As Jack exhaled slowly, Gabriel lifted the rod to line it up with Jack’s cock, letting it slide in under its own weight. The stainless steel was smooth and slim, and it only met the slightest resistance as it started to slip down and into Jack’s length. Jack found himself holding his breath, and a light pat with Gabriel’s free hand on his thigh and a reminder to “Breathe!” got his lungs working again.

The rod was small enough that he could only feel it in the way his cock was suddenly less able to flex in Gabriel’s loose fist. There wasn’t a real stretch with something this small, but it was unfamiliar and strange and Jack dropped his head back, focusing on his breathing as Gabriel gently eased the thing back out.

“You took that well,” he said, voice warm. Jack would have called it affectionate if it was anyone but Gabriel. “Time for something bigger.”

The next one did feel like a stretch and Jack tensed, though it made no difference to the metal rod penetrating him. He couldn’t clench to keep it out, and Gabriel’s hand kept his cock still and made him take it. He lifted his head to watch it settle, piercing his length from tip to root, and felt more vulnerable than he ever had in Gabriel’s grip. It didn’t burn like he’d expected, but it ached in a deep, satisfying way. He wanted to stay like this, his cock being touched in the deepest way possible, and his shaft twitched in Gabriel’s hand.

“Bigger?” Gabriel asked, and Jack blinked at him, having trouble formulating an answer. Gabriel seemed to pick up on that and laughed. “You love this.”

He took the end of the rod in his fingers, his broad hand moving delicately as he started to thrust the rod in and out. He only moved a few inches, never thrusting deep enough that it hurt, but the movement on the interior of Jack’s cock was unfamiliar and made him squirm a bit in place. His instinct was to want it out, sensing it as a violation, but there was a different part of him that craved giving this over to Gabriel along with everything else.

The rod slipped out and Jack bit back a moan, head rolling to one side as he regarded Gabriel with half-lidded eyes.

“One more today,” Gabriel said, selecting a rod a few sizes up from the one he’d been using. Jack couldn’t help tensing instinctively, but again Gabriel just let the rod do its own work, pushing its way deeper and deeper and making Jack’s body take it. Panting, Jack watched it settle deep inside his shaft, noticing how red and swollen his slit looked around it. 

He heard the buzz of the vibrator before he realized that Gabriel had picked it up, and he couldn’t even get the words to protest before it was pressed against him, making him cry out wordlessly. The rod carried the vibrations deeper than they had ever gone, resonating along his shaft and making him buck up helplessly. Though he hadn’t been close to orgasm when Gabriel was just sounding his cock, this brought the edge close within moments. He felt it welling up within him and groaned. The sensation skirted the line between pleasure and pain perfectly, and when he finally came it pushed the rod out of him, the fluid spilling over and coating Gabriel’s hand.

For once, Gabriel didn’t torture him after his orgasm, letting him pant and come down from his high as he set aside the used rods to be cleaned. Jack slumped in his bonds, eyes bleary, until Gabriel touched his cheek. Automatically he lifted his head, opening his mouth for the cock he expected.

Gabriel laughed, slipping a thumb into his mouth for him to suck on instead. “You’re so well-trained,” he remarked, and Jack shouldn’t have felt quite so pleased by the words. “There’s more to learn, though. You’re eager.”

Jack wasn’t sure what that meant, but just nodded, his tongue working against Gabriel’s thumb. He trusted him-- why wouldn’t he? Gabriel had always done right by him before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired to a huge extent by [Orenjimaru](http://orenjimaru.tumblr.com). Thank you thank you thank you~

The air was cool on Jack's bare skin as he sat cross-legged on Gabriel's bed, waiting for him to emerge from the adjoined bathroom. He could hear the soft buzz of an electric razor going as Gabriel shaved, and the low thrum of anticipation in his chest had him bouncing his foot slightly as he waited. 

The little rituals of preparation had fallen into place over time. Jack would get ready in his own room, but Gabriel wouldn't get up to shower until Jack arrived. The subtle control of making Jack wait felt right, and he would close his eyes and listen to the rush of the shower or Gabriel humming softly to himself as he dressed. 

There was a new bag sitting on the dresser this time, alongside the eroscillator and the zipped case of sounding rods. Jack knew from experience that new toys were usually overwhelming and very, very good, and the temptation to peek made the wait even more unbearable. 

The razor clicked off in the bathroom and Jack perked up, turning towards the door expectantly. He'd stripped down to just his underwear and he rearranged himself into a kneeing position on the bed, back straight, hands on his knees. 

Gabriel emerged a moment or two after that, his hair still damp and his goatee trimmed neatly. He was dressed in his usual black, a ribbed tank top and loose-fitting sweats that skimmed his thick thighs. There was a white towel slung over his shoulder, damp from his shower.

Jack's whole body seemed to perk up in response to seeing him. The image was familiar and his instincts knew what was coming when Gabriel looked at him like that. In his briefs, his cock twitched slightly, warmth gathering between his legs.

Gabriel came to the side of the bed, tossing down the towel to hang over the frame. His hand came out to take Jack by the chin, drawing him in slightly, and Jack leaned towards him without hesitation, putting a hand down at his side so he could support himself. Brown eyes studied his face for a moment and Jack felt like every imperfection was glaringly obvious to Gabriel's gaze. Then, he released him with a soft chuckle. 

"Take those off," Gabriel said, making a vague gesture with his hand. Jack obeyed, watching Gabriel out of the corner of his eye as he dragged his underwear off over his legs.

Gabriel went over to the dresser, picking up the bag and tugging open the drawstring at the top. He reached inside, pulling out a thing that was made of leather and lined with soft fleece. For a second, Jack couldn't figure out what it was, but when Gabriel turned it and he saw the buckles at the back, he recognized it as some sort of extra-tall collar, the top contoured to fit his jaw and throat. There were metal loops attached to either side by leather bands, and the exterior was black with cream colored fleece lining the inside, presumably for comfort. How something that would immobilize his neck was expected to be comfortable was a mystery, though.

Gabriel approached Jack, pulling the collar open in the back and holding it up. "Come here."

Jack might have hesitated six months ago, before he's let go of his resistance in favor of letting Gabriel carry him through. Now, though, he edged forward despite his misgivings, lifting his chin so Gabriel could slide the collar around his neck. A hand on his head bowed him forward so Gabriel could fasten the buckles, securing the device. It was tight and restrictive, forcing Jack to keep his spine straight and tall as he lifted himself up. It didn't actively choke or pinch him, though, the fleece doing its job and turning it from punishing to merely firm. 

He couldn't look down, but he could turn slightly to the side as Gabriel circled around him, smiling to himself. "There you are. You look like a proper toy now."

The words made Jack shiver, goosebumps racing across his skin. He liked the idea more than he could ever admit out loud. The stricter the bondage that Gabe put him in, the more he fantasized about being trussed up and never let out again. He could just be Gabriel's pet, used and abused and cared for in the particular way Gabriel knew how. 

With his body completely naked, Jack couldn't hide the way his cock was starting to grow thicker, blood flushing his cheeks. He wondered how he looked like that, forced into such precise posture and already getting hard just from imagining what might come next. 

Gabriel tapped Jack's knee. "Lie back and spread your legs. Hands behind your head."

It took a little nervous shifting before Jack felt comfortable enough to lean back onto the pillows in as controlled a fashion as he could manage with the collar. Once on his back, he set his legs wide, his cock curving up over his lower stomach. He tucked his hands up under his head, fingers twined. 

Gabriel sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to put his hand on Jack's thigh for a moment. He slid his hand up towards the juncture of his legs, nails drawing over his skin and leaving tingles in their wake. Jack squirmed slightly, hips shifting. 

"Hold still," Gabriel said firmly, his voice dipping into the gravelly tone he always used for orders. Jack stiffened, locking his knees for a second before setting his legs slightly wider and trying to keep a comfortable tension in his limbs. Warm, calloused fingers wrapped around his cock, stroking slowly, and Jack drew in a shaky breath. 

Gabriel jerked him off slowly, his touch rough until Jack's cock started to leak precome to slick the way. As was often the case, Gabriel was almost mechanical about getting him fully hard. The point was to make him ready for Gabriel to play with him, not to give Jack pleasure. Enjoyment was a by-product. 

Still, the tightness of the collar was a new and arousing sensation, and Jack was breathing hard only a few minutes into the attention. It was hard to keep his legs wide when all he wanted to do was writhe, but he dug in his heels and did his best. The muscles of his legs and stomach tensed and relaxed as Gabriel drew his thumb over the head of Jack's cock, sweeping up the fluid beading there and rubbing it across his head. 

"Look how quick you get hard," Gabriel said, sounding mildly amused. "You love this. You're aching for me to do this to you. I bet you wouldn't even say a thing if I kept you tied up here to use whenever I felt like it."

Jack drew in a sharp breath, his arousal at the suggestion obvious as his cock throbbed in Gabriel's fingers. He couldn't even look down, not with the collar forcing his head up, and it was almost worse than being blindfolded. He could see everything but what he wanted. 

Gabriel laughed softly. His nail started to dig in at the edge of Jack's sensitive cockhead, trailing along like a line of fire. "Look at you. Desperate. Needy. The mighty commander needs me to get him off."

Whining softly, Jack's leg twitched in, trying to protect himself from the onslaught. His eyes were tearing up slightly, and Gabriel's hand suddenly shoved his knee down, opening him up again. 

"Didn't I tell you not to move?" he snapped, and then his hands withdrew, leaving Jack panting and untouched. He moved away and Jack could just barely see him in the corner of his eye as he grabbed a long rod that had been resting against the wall. There were two leather cuffs, one on either end, and Jack recognized it immediately as a spreader bar. 

Nothing made him feel more vulnerable than having his legs held apart by that bar, but in some ways he felt relieved even so. If he couldn't keep himself open like Gabriel wanted, he needed to be restrained. The first cuff closed tight around Jack's ankle and he had to stretch his free leg wide to reach the other cuff. The extension kept him utterly exposed, and his fingers clenched against the back of his head. He would hold those on his own, at least, no matter what torture Gabriel wanted to give him. 

Gabriel stepped back, looking him over with an unreadable expression, then he moved to the dresser again. Jack couldn't see what he was doing, but he heard a drawer open, then a soft swish he recognized. The sound of the crop smacking lightly into Gabriel's hand was one he knew well, and he felt himself melt into the bed, already thrusting his hips up. 

Usually Gabriel used it on his ass, but there had been a few times like this where he was already in place on his back when he would start elsewhere. He especially liked the look of Jack's inner thighs and pecs beaten pink, and Jack craved the stinging, throbbing heat of it. 

The first blow landed on Jack's thigh and he gasped, swallowing a happy moan as another was laid down beside the first. Gabriel worked his way up towards more and more sensitive skin, leaving a line of bright sensation along Jack's leg and towards his cock. It would have been incredibly difficult to keep himself open without the spreader bar, and Jack focused on keeping his arms tense and still behind his head. He clenched his teeth against a whine as Gabriel smacked his inner thigh a final time, then paused, giving him a moment to catch his breath. 

"Thank me," Gabriel said. Jack's eyes flicked open. Gabriel so rarely asked him to speak while they were in the middle of things. 

"Thank you," he breathed, voice tight enough to tremble slightly. The crop came down hard on his leg, laying a mark on top of an already reddened patch. "Ah--! Sir! Thank you, sir!"

"Better," Gabriel said. Jack's cock was still hard when he reached out to grab it, giving him a few rough pulls. "Do you need me to do the other side?"

Jack blinked hard, trying to clear the stinging in his eyes. "Yes?" he said after a second of panting. "Yes, sir. Please."

Gabriel complied, starting at the most tender spot, high and inside, and Jack had to fight back the urge to buck and squirm. His body was flooded with heat and he wanted to reach down and touch himself, but when Gabriel finally stopped, just before his knee, the satisfaction of being good washed over him more strongly than any base need. He'd been obedient and quiet in taking the pain and when he saw Gabriel's face, he looked faintly pleased.

Jack's dick jumped as Gabriel reached for it again, polishing the tip of it with his thumb almost absentmindedly. The crop was still in his free hand and he swished it lazily, the sound making Jack's hips twitch. 

"Turn over. Knees beneath you, hands out above your head," Gabriel said after a moment or two of thought. The position was a little more difficult to achieve with his ankles forcibly spread as they were and it left him with his ass high in the air and vulnerable to anything Gabriel might want to do. 

Once he was settled, arms outstretched by his head, the crop came down again on his ass, striping across one cheek with the head of the rod landing on the other. It hurt in an even more satisfying way and Jack breathed out hard to mask a tiny moan. Gabriel didn't fault him for it, working his way down his ass in neat parallel stripes, using the body of the crop more like a cane. It was style of pain Jack found particularly enthralling, and he closed his eyes against the unbidden tears that began to well up and focused on his breathing and his silence. 

Gabriel slowed as he reached the backs of Jack's thighs, the spots where the earlier beating overlapped with this one making Jack flinch and whimper as quietly as he could. That sort of pain was less pleasant and more distressing, but he would tolerate it if Gabriel asked it of him. When he finally finished striping Jack's legs, he set the crop down and brought a firm hand to rest on Jack's trembling back just above his ass. 

"Breathe," he murmured. Jack forced his lungs to draw in a full breath, hands clenching and unclenching, and some of the tension that had been building in his body drained out. The low throb of his pulse carried endorphins through him, making him feel a little like he was floating, and Jack sagged on the bed, glad again to have the spreader bar securing him.

Gabriel's hand slowly stroked up his back to the collar, then over it to comb through Jack's hair. "Five minute break. Water?"

Jack nodded and Gabriel slid an arm around his chest, helping him to kneel up. He hissed as his tender ass came in contact with his calves, but Gabriel let him nuzzle in and ride out the new pain for a few heartbeats. When he drew away, Jack watched him move to the bathroom, then return in a moment with a cup of water. He passed it to Jack to drink. 

It was difficult to swallow with the collar against his throat, but Jack worked through it, knowing that his body needed it. He was starting to get a little clammy from sweating through the beating, and his cock had grown softer without direct attention, though it was still swollen between his thighs. 

Gabriel took the cup back, setting it aside, then held up a pair of wrist cuffs that matched the posture collar. They had small clips hanging off them, and Jack realized that they would easily attach to the metal loops on the collar, holding his hands up and away from his body. 

Jack held one wrist out, then the other, and Gabriel secured his hands to the collar just as he'd guessed. A firm hand between his shoulder blades urged him back down to press his chest to the bed, though without the use of his hands it was more of a flop than anything graceful. 

Gabriel laughed, but it wasn't unkind. His hand stroked Jack's hair for a moment, then moved behind him. The crack of a bottle cap being flicked open made Jack twitch. It was unusual for Gabriel to be interested in penetrative sex instead of just torturing his cock and fucking his mouth, but Jack wasn't going to discourage him.

Lube spilled over Jack's hole, sliding down his crack until Gabriel's fingers caught it and pushed it back up towards that pucker. Jack sighed, relaxing his body as much as he could, and Gabriel began to massage the lube into him. He didn't linger, but he gave Jack time to adjust as he pushed his fingers inside, rocking and twisting until Jack opened up for him. 

Once Jack was sufficiently stretched, Gabriel pulled out. Jack expected him to climb onto the bed and draw out his cock, but inside the cool press of something metal against his hole made Jack tense instinctively. 

"Relax," Gabriel ordered, giving Jack's thigh a light slap. Jack swallowed, then arched his back a little and pushed back against what he assumed was a plug. It only took a few seconds of pressure before his body gave way and accepted the lubed metal and Jack pressed his cheek against the bed to hide his moan. It was heavy, curving down to put a gentle pressure against his prostate as his hole clenched around the neck. It settled into him and Jack shifted slightly in place, feeling out how solid and cold it felt buried inside his sensitive flesh. 

Gabriel put a hand on Jack's cock, stroking slowing downward as if milking him. The whole setup felt intensely exposed, Jack unable to do anything but respond and Gabriel taking full advantage of it. The buzzing around that spread through his abdomen felt tight and full of potential and Jack's fingers clenched where they were restrained near his cheeks. 

"Filthy," Gabriel murmured warmly, continuing his gentle attention on Jack's cock. "You're so desperate for this. Can you even get off without the pain now?"

Jack gasped as Gabriel's hand tightened a little more than was comfortable and he bucked his hips forward. The plug shifted, sending sparks to the corners of his vision. 

"I should plug up your cock. They have toys for that, you know. Put something in you to wear around even when I'm not playing with you. You'll have to come to me and beg for it to come off. After all, you're mine even when we're not doing this, aren't you, Jack?" Gabriel's voice was low and almost musical, drawing Jack in and drowning out every other sound. He whined without thinking about it, his imagination caught by the idea of being teased even more relentlessly. Gabriel nudged the base of the plug. "Shhh..."

He was right, though. Jack had found that jerking himself off in the shower barely did anything for him anymore, not compared to the intensity of Gabriel's attention. Fantasy didn't compare, and he'd taken to just ignoring any urges until Gabriel called him again.

His body belonged to Gabriel. There was nothing he could do about that now, even if he'd wanted to. 

Tension started to build low in Jack's stomach and he gasped, thrusting into Gabriel's hand with more desperation. Suddenly, the warm pressure was gone, leaving his cock hanging between his legs untouched. 

Gabriel slapped his cock lightly with the back of his hand, just enough to make Jack whine and try to jerk away. Bound as he was, he couldn't get anywhere, and Gabriel hit him again. It hurt, yes, but the wave of Jack's orgasm didn't stop building and building. He felt tender and swollen, his cock throbbing and the plug rubbing up against his prostate. 

He couldn't swallow a cry as he came, shooting all over bedspread beneath him. Gabriel kept tapping him lightly until the last spasm had subsided, then wrapped his hand around him again. Jack was trembling and he moaned, oversensitive and tingling and knowing that Gabriel had no intention of stopping. 

It felt white hot and overwhelming as Gabriel's thumb teased the head of his cock and his whole body spasmed. The plug was still shoved up against his prostate, forcing further tremors through him, and he muffled another whine against the bed. Gabriel's thumb knew just where to press and rub to get him trying to jerk away, helpless to do anything but rub his cock more firmly against the painful friction of Gabriel's grip. 

This was what Gabriel could give him that he couldn't ask for from anyone else. All control was stripped away, every nerve in his body raw as he struggled not to scream. It was uncomfortable, but the intensity was almost transcendent. Gabriel was carrying him further than he could go on his own. 

Then, the stimulation stopped and Jack collapsed in his bonds, gasping and squirming as the aftershocks rolled through him. He was panting, his heart racing. 

"Good," Gabriel said, his voice husky. "Come on, Jack, just gotta get me off and you're done."

Jack nodded as much as he could. Gabriel unclipped his hands, allowing him a moment to roll his wrists and get the feeling back in them while he did the same for his ankles. All but sliding to the floor, Jack whimpered as his ass twinged, but settled kneeling in front of him. Gabriel shoved down the waistband of his sweatpants, freeing his cock, and Jack leaned in to take it into his mouth immediately.

Gabriel took his time fucking Jack's mouth, driving deep into his throat on each slow thrust. Jack let himself stay in his floaty, dreamy state of mind throughout, his eyes half closed and trusting Gabriel to take the lead. When he finally tasted salt in his mouth and heard Gabriel grunt, satisfaction bubbled up in his stomach. He'd been good and Gabriel had gotten off. 

Before he could stand, Gabriel reached to the back of his neck to unbuckle the collar. Jack took a slow, deep breath, rolling his head from side to side, though a warm hand on his cheek made him still and look up. 

"Think about wearing something for me more permanently," Gabriel said. Jack nodded, then swallowed. 

"I need some more water," he said. The enforced silence was tacitly over, and Gabriel patted his cheek before going to refill the cup. Jack dragged himself back onto the bed, wincing as he got settled on his side. When Gabriel returned with the water, he sat up slightly to drink it as Gabriel used his towel from earlier to wipe up the mess he'd left on the comforter. He gave up after a moment and just yanked the covers off completely, leaving just the second layer of blankets behind. He crawled up to sit on the bed next o Jack once it was piled on a corner to be cleaned.

Jack set the glass aside after finishing his water and leaned down to rest his head on Gabriel's thigh. His hand came to rest on Jack's neck, rubbing gently at a reddish mark where the collar had pressed in. 

"You can go farther next time," Jack said softly, still only half-present as he drifted. 

"Oh?" said Gabriel. 

"Marks like these only last for a few days. I can take more. And you can keep rubbing me for longer. You could probably make me come again," Jack murmured, butting gently into Gabriel's hand. "Especially if you use that thing."

"The eroscillator?"

"Yeah."

"I'll keep that in mind." Gabriel's fingers combed through the hair at Jack's temple, brushing it back from his face. "You look good when you're desperate."

Jack smiled faintly, enjoying the gentle attention of Gabriel's fingers as they traced his cheekbone and down to his neck again. 

"I like it," he said.

"I know you do," Gabriel replied, then reached to yank the covers up and around them. His hand stroking Jack was warm and gentle, and Jack let himself drift, knowing he was in good hands.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried to write smut and got emotion porn instead
> 
> Thank you so much for the people of the Reaper76 discord for support and beta reading. You're all gems.

Jack stood straight with his hand clasped behind his head, his front fully exposed for inspection. The was wasn't particularly chilly, but his skin was covered in goosebumps anyway as Gabriel came towards him. A warm hand touched his collarbone, fingers splayed, then trailed down slowly to his hip. 

"How long has it been?" Gabriel asked in a low purr. The question had become a daily occurrence, though Jack knew Gabriel was as aware of the answer as he was. 

"Twelve in the cage," Jack said. "Fifteen without orgasm, sir."

Gabriel's fingers curled gently around Jack's cock, lifting it and the clear plastic cage it was locked in. A ring around the base of his shaft was secured to another behind his balls, holding the device in place. It curved down slightly, the red flesh of his length pressed flush against the plastic as his cock tried in vain to swell in response to Gabriel's touch. A slit near the end meant that he could relieve himself, but the whole thing was a little tight all over. Near the top, a petite lock sat securing the whole contraption. Enough force could break the mechanism and free him-- which was as much for safety as anything-- but that wasn't the point. Gabriel trusted Jack to submit to his control and leave the lock untouched. 

"You've been good. You've only begged when I wanted you to, Jack," Gabriel murmured, his thumb rubbing over the top of the cock cage. Jack couldn't feel the pressure, but his cock twitched nonetheless. It had been difficult not to whine, to demand more attention, but Jack had enough self control to withstand even this torture. Hearing that Gabriel had noticed and was proud made his chest grow a little tight. 

Gabriel let go of his cock, taking a step back from him towards the bed. He'd hadn't laid out his tools like usual, but his bag was sitting on top of the covers, packed and zipped. 

"We're going on a field trip," he said, hefting the bag up. "Get some clothes back on. Don't bother with you boxers, they'll just get in the way."

Jack let his hands fall from their spot on his head, a little uncertain. They'd never done anything outside of Gabriel's quarters before, and though he trusted him, it was a bit nerve wracking. Still, he'd learned to obey, and quickly dragged back on his black sweats and grey t-shirt. Gabriel thrust the bag towards him and Jack took it, carrying it in one hand as he fell into pace behind Gabriel. 

To anyone they passed, there would be nothing to indicate something out of the ordinary. Everyone knew that they sparred together frequently, and the bag could easily be filled with gear for that. Jack's feet were bare, but no one glanced down. Still, Jack felt like he could hear the soft tap of the padlock against the plastic cock cage with every step. It was probably just his imagination, but he still stiffened up whenever they had to walk by someone. 

Gabriel seemed completely unconcerned. He called the elevator and tapped the button for the lowest level of the watchpoint. Jack knew they had little more than storage and a few rarely-used interrogation rooms down there and he felt a little shiver up his spine. Gabriel had the authority to lock down the floor if he wanted to do that anyone who tried to come after them would need authorization.

The doors slid open on the bare concrete hallway. Along one wall was a one-way window leading into the first unlit interrogation rooms. Gabriel headed over, swiping his badge to unlock the grey door and held it open for Jack to walk inside. 

The air in the room was a little more stale and cooler than that in Gabriel's room. As the lights flickered on, filling the room with a soft, fluorescent buzz, Jack moved to set the duffel bag down on a table against one wall. The floor was bare concrete, stained in a few places with something dark that Jack didn't really want to know more about. Blackwatch were the ones who usually used these rooms, which was perhaps why Gabriel had thought of them. 

"Strip," Gabriel said. He moved towards the center of the room, nudging aside the chair there with his foot. He glanced up at the ceiling and for the first time Jack saw that there was a sturdy metal eyebolt embedded in the concrete.

Jack drew his shirt off over his head, setting it next to the duffel bag on the table. His sweatpants followed, leaving him bare except for the cock cage. 

Gabriel came towards him, catching him by the chin and bringing him in for a light kiss. "I'm going to push you hard today."

"Yes, sir."

Gabriel smirked, then released him. He moved to the duffel bag, unzipping it and reaching inside to draw out a coiled length of rope. It was twisted neatly into a figure-8 shape, but it took Gabriel only a few tugs to loosen it and let it spread out on the table. 

Next, he grabbed the posture collar he'd used on Jack fairly regularly since its debut. This he held up towards Jack, who stepped forward so he could slide it around his throat. The process of fastening it brought their bodies close together for a moment and Jack leaned in, breathing in the smell of Gabriel's skin as his lips pressed lightly to the curve of his neck.

The collar forced him to stand straight and Jack drew in a slow breath, his mind already quieting towards the fuzzy, warm place he'd come to associate with these encounters. Gabriel returned his attention to the bag, rifling around for a moment before pulling out another length of rope, then a blunt metal hook the size of Jack's spread hand. It had a little knob of metal on the tip and the opposite end came to a loop. Jack had seen anal hooks in porn before, but this object looked ten times as intimidating. The comfort of his restrictions evaporated a little as he eyed it dubiously. 

"Go kneel under that bolt," Gabriel said, pointing to the spot with the hook in his hand. Jack padded over, then slowly lowered himself to his knees. It was much less comfortable than kneeling on the bed in Gabriel's room and the constant, unforgiving press against his legs meant that he couldn't quite drift like he preferred to while he was waiting. 

Gabriel approached, holding the rope, and dropped a couple of still coiled sections on the chair, followed by the anal hook. He fell into a comfortable crouch, reaching out to start looping the rope around Jack's torso. It wasn't the first time they'd played with rope and Gabriel deftly constructed a harness across Jack's chest and shoulders. The tail end of the rope wrapped around Jack's crossed wrists, drawing them towards his upper back and forcing his chest out. Calloused thumbs flicked over his nipples where they were pushed forward in front of him and Jack gasped softly, but then Gabriel returned his attention to the rope. 

He got Jack to stand, drawing him up by the chest harness to help his balance, and set to work building something similar for his hips with a second length of rope. Every tiny bump of his hand against Jack's caged cock sent electric shivers through him, and Jack caught his lip in his teeth to stay quiet. In the hard-walled room, every sound was amplified. 

The wide mirror on one wall let Jack see exactly how he looked with the brown ropes crossing his body. The pattern was neat and symmetrical, accenting the cut of his abdomen and hips, and he would have felt a little pleased with his appearance if that shiny stainless steel hook hadn't still been sitting on the chair beside him. 

The harness on his hips seemed to weave in and out of itself, sturdy and secure, and Gabriel gave it a sharp tug to check its strength. It jerked Jack forward a half-step and into a light kiss, then Gabriel went for a new rope. This one was thick and heavy, and he carefully threaded it through the chest and hip harnesses before propping a foot on the edge of the chair and stepping up for a moment to slip the end of the doubled rope through the bolt in the ceiling. 

Immediately, Jack realized that Gabriel was planning to hoist him off his feet and his legs seized up, shoulders tensing. They hadn't discussed suspension, positively or negatively, and though Jack had no fear of heights, he wasn't sure if this would be something he was particularly keen on. 

He opened his mouth to say something, but Gabe spoke before he could.

"Lean your weight into the ropes. Let them support you, then I'll tie your legs." 

Jack rocked forward slightly on his toes, then a warm hand between his shoulder blades pushed him further. For an instant he teetered, then in a moment of disorientation he found his feet slipping out from under him as his weight slid fully into the rope's grip. 

The bindings shifted slightly, but held firm after the initial movement, leaving him with his legs slightly bent and hovering above the floor. Before he could try to stand again, Gabriel pulled hard on the rope that threaded up to the bolt in the ceiling, hoisting him up a foot or so to make it impossible for him to reach the floor. Jack realized that all his weight was resting on the rope that Gabriel was holding tight, and his stomach flopped in a mixture of fear and excitement. 

Gabriel secured the end of the rope to his hip harness, keeping a hand on Jack constantly until he'd found equilibrium and hung swaying gently from the ceiling. It didn't take long for Gabriel to secure each of his ankles to his thighs, rendering him unable to do more than squirm in his bonds. 

The key to Jack's cock cage hung off a cord that Gabriel drew from the pocket of his fatigues. It took only a moment to release the little padlock and ease the cage down and off of him. Jack breathed out hard through his nose-- it stung slightly where his skin wanted to stick to the plastic, but it wasn't anywhere near enough discomfort to stop his cock from filling with blood and starting to swell the moment it could. Gabriel left the plastic ring around the base of his cock, behind his balls. There was no point in wrestling it off when Jack would be back in the cage by the end of the session. 

A hand on Jack's knee rotated him slowly so he was forced to look at himself in the mirror. The posture collar kept his head up, so short of closing his eyes he couldn't avoid the image. His cock was red and thick, hanging down from him and vulnerable to anything Gabriel wanted to do. A shiver ran through him. Gabriel noticed and laughed. 

"How many times would you have come by now if your cock was free?" he asked, sliding his hand up along the back of Jack's thigh to grab his ass, squeezing. He spread Jack's cheeks slightly. 

"I'm not sure, sir," Jack said, brows knitting. "Fifteen days... Five or so? Maybe eight or nine."

"That's a lot built up." Gabriel rubbed a dry finger over Jack's hole and Jack did his best not to tense up. "You must be really aching for me to let you come by now. Greedy, aren't you?"

Gabriel's hand came down in a slap on Jack's ass, making him cry out in surprise, then he moved away to the bag again. He found the lube, then came over to the chair to pick up the anal hook from where it lay. 

"Gabriel--" Jack said, tension making him spin slightly in the ropes. "I'm not sure--"

The lid of the lube popped open loudly. "If you want to stop, this all stops. I'll leave the cage off you and let you walk out of here, but it's not like you get to come back."

Jack's lips parted in silent surprise. Gabriel had never told him anything like that before-- there hadn't ever been a threat to keep him from using his safeword. Yes, he knew it would end things for the moment, but he had always anticipated being allowed to try again. They needed to talk, Jack realized. It had all fallen into place to easily at first that he hadn't ever felt like he needed to set limits or discuss boundaries.

Was Gabriel really willing to stop this if Jack said no even once? It hadn't been that way with the sounding rods-- but that seemed like such a long time ago now. It was a world apart from where they were outside this room, if nothing else.

They hadn't talked about this openly. It had always just been what it was. Jack felt, for the first time, that he might have misjudged why Gabriel was doing this.

Jack's pulse picked up. The thought of putting it all in the glaring light of day seemed like it would evaporate everything about it that made him feel good. He wouldn't be able to give Gabriel all of himself if he'd set rules to hold some things back.

He let his body sag in the ropes and murmured a soft, "Sorry, sir."

"That's better," Gabriel said. In the mirror, Jack could see him slicking the hook, then he moved to stand at Jack's side. The length of it was slim enough that Gabriel really didn't need to prepare Jack much further than pouring extra lube over his hole. Jack had grown used to taking much bigger things, and as the walnut-sized knob at the end started to push into him, he took a deep breath and let his body relax. He had to bear back a little to get it past the first tight ring, then it was a smooth slide right down to the curve of the hook, burying it deep inside. 

Gabriel let it sit there for a moment, resting in the cleft of Jack's ass cheeks, while he grabbed a shorter length of rope. He looped it through the eye at the other end of the hook, then threaded it through one of the o-rings attached to Jack's posture collar. He only gave Jack a second to steel himself, then cinched it, drawing the rope tight enough that Jack was forced to arch his back. 

Even then, the pressure against his hole was just shy of painful. He felt stretched open, the metal unforgiving and harsh, and he whimpered softly. He didn't like it, and even Gabriel's hand on his cock a moment later was barely a distraction from the discomfort.

Then, the purr of Gabriel's voice cut through the anxious rush of his thoughts. 

"Good boy," he murmured, stroking up Jack's spine with one warm hand. "I'm going to make you come like this until you can't anymore. What did we say, five times?"

Jack swallowed a sob, realizing suddenly what was in store. He was shaking as Gabe dragged the chair over to sit beside him, his legs fitting in a several inches under Jack's body. Gabriel put a hand on his thigh and seemed to feel the tension in him.

"Breathe," he murmured, standing again quickly. "Breathe-- do you need the collar off?"

Jack hesitated, but the pressure was building in his chest, panic setting in, and he had to gasp a quick, "Yes."

It took Gabriel a second to loose the rope holding the hook and unbuckle Jack's collar, and the second he could drop his head forward and pant, Jack started to feel a little less lightheaded. The pressure was off the hook in his ass, too, which eased his pain considerably, and Gabriel stepped up next to his head, stroking his hair and cradling his cheek with one hand. 

"Breathe, Jack," Gabriel said again, his fingers gentle over Jack's cheeks. "I've got you. You're alright. Do you need to come down?"

"You scared me," Jack said, the words coming out before he could master them. "I thought you were going to give up on me if I couldn't take it!" His voice was panicked, and more terrified than he wanted it to be. He trusted Gabriel...or thought he had.

Gabriel was quiet for a long moment, though his fingers still moved on Jack's cheek. "I was just talking."

"I'm trying, Gabe. I'm really trying to be good." Jack realized his eyes were stinging and his next breath came in shaky. 

The tears were a sure sign, and Gabriel immediately reached for the sheath on his belt. The flick of the folding knife opening near Jack's ear made him flinch, then Gabriel leaned forward and cut through the rope holding Jack's legs, allowing him to extend his knees and pull the ropes loose. Jack knew Gabriel wouldn't cut the rope without cause and he wished he'd told him to stop. It wasn't worth all that.

Gabriel reached up around to grab the rope securing Jack off the floor. This one he untied, wrapping it around his wrist to slowly ease Jack's weight into his own hands and lower him until his numb feet touched concrete. Gabriel used a fist in the chest harness to help Jack stay upright long enough for him to free his wrists, and Jack reached out to cling to Gabriel on instinct, leaning against him.

"Sorry," Jack said again, his voice muffled as he pressed his cheek against Gabriel's chest.

"You're fine. I shouldn't have done it," Gabriel replied. He slid his hand down to the small of Jack's back, touching the hook. "Deep breath, gonna take this out."

It came out easily enough and Gabriel dropped it to the floor unceremoniously. 

"I thought you wanted me to push you harder," he said, bringing his arms to loop around Jack's waist and hold him. 

Jack reached up to scrub at his eyes with the back of his hand. "I thought I did."

"Let me get the rest of the rope off you," Gabriel murmured. He kept one hand at Jack's elbow as much as he could as he unwound the bonds, dropping the rope to the floor in a tangle as soon as it was off Jack's body.

Nuzzling in close, Jack let himself be supported and looked after. His muscles tingled as the ropes restricting blood flow feel away and he flexed his shoulders a little. Gabriel loosed the last of the ropes, then brought a hand up to the nape of Jack's neck. 

"I thought you'd like it," he said. There was a plaintive note to his voice and Jack felt a weird twist of guilt for having slammed into his limits so quickly.

Jack shook his head. "Don't worry. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was! I'm supposed to--" Gabriel cut himself off, then sighed and brought their foreheads together. "Sorry."

Jack closed his eyes. Despite Gabriel's gentle touch, he felt like he had failed somehow and it ached deep in his chest. Gabriel hadn't asked for too much, he'd just been too weak. He should have trusted him more. It wasn't like he was actually going to hurt him. 

"Maybe we should take a little break from this," Gabriel said softly. "Just to get our bearings again. Work's been stressful."

Jack's fingers tightened in Gabriel's shirt. He didn't want to agree. It felt too much like being rejected. Didn't Gabriel want him? Hadn't he been doing what he was supposed to for him?

"I've been good," he said, voice uncomfortably tight. 

"It's not about that. Not at all," Gabriel said, his frustration coloring his words. "Jack, you know it's not. It's everything else. It's stupid to act like it doesn't matter when we're doing this."

"Why should it matter?" Jack demanded. "Why can't we just have this?"

"Cause it's hard, Jack! You just show up and expect me to have this whole production ready to go and meanwhile we're shouting each other down in meetings three times a week--" Gabriel stopped himself, shaking his head and pushing away from Jack slightly. Suddenly, Jack's nakedness felt intensely vulnerable. He was standing there, his skin still showing the imprints of Gabriel's rope, and it felt like Gabriel was looking straight through him. 

He drew himself back, arms coming tight around his torso. Gabriel sighed loudly.

"Look, Jack, I'm not pissed, I just need a little time," he said, but Jack knew that things weren't going to be the same.

"I get it," he said.

"No you don't," Gabriel breathed, closing his eyes for a second. "Here, just-- Why don't we go back to my room and talk about this?"

Gabriel tried to step in close again, his arms open, but Jack tensed away, jaw tight. He moved towards the table where his clothes were sitting, then paused, reaching down to wrestle the ring of the cock cage off himself and drop it into Gabriel's open bag. He yanked his clothes on as quickly as he could, ignoring Gabriel's gaze on the back of his neck. 

"Jack," he said softly. “We need to talk about this.”

"Look, we can just talk later or something," Jack said, his whole body tense. "I'll... I'll see you tomorrow."

Gabriel opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. Jack wanted him to say something, wanted him to demand to plead or order him to stay.

Instead, Jack pushed out through the door of the interrogation room and into the hall. The elevator ride seemed to take forever, and once he was in his own room, he dropped down on his bed like he'd just run a marathon. 

Everything ached, inside and out. Jack closed his eyes, trying to will away the worry that was clawing at him. 

He'd see Gabriel tomorrow. They could talk then, and it would all be fine. All of it would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of it would not be fine.


	4. epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [jive](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jive) is actually a magical person with zero flaws and makes me so happy.

The smell of rain on asphalt filled the soldier’s nose as he pulled off his mask, breathing for the first time without the filter since the weather had rolled in. He was standing under an awning for a bakery with boarded up windows, the stutter of the rain loud on the sun-faded fabric above him. It would be dusk soon, though the grey clouds obscured the sun enough that his sight was already nearly gone in the dim light.

Reaper was injured. The black ooze of his nanite-laden blood was being washed away already, but the soldier had seen it burst out of him in half a dozen spots before he’d managed to yank himself into his wraith form and slither between the bricks and out of the building. The soldier had thought he’d been cornered, but it wasn’t the first time he’d pulled such a trick.

Now, he could be anywhere. The soldier checked the power indicator for his visor. It was hard to read even at its fullest brightness directly in front of his face and indicated only a few minutes left before he’d be completely blind in the dark. Well, it would either be enough time or it wouldn’t. With a sigh, he dried the inside of the lens with his sleeve, then fit it back to his face, blinking a few times as his eyes adjusted to the augmented display again.

The soldier set his shoulders, striding out from under the awning again and sweeping the little square with his gaze. This had been a city center once, before Talon’s machinations turned it into a cache for weapons and a target for Overwatch’s guns. No one had won that fight. 

There was no point in hugging the walls. Reaper was just as likely to try and come through them and choke him as he was to come out from the open. At least with some distance, the soldier would be able to see his shadow crossing the ground. That is, if Reaper wasn’t too injured to turn into darkness. It would be nice if he was, if the soldier could have the upper hand for once.

Something pinged on his HUD and the soldier whipped around, rifle raised. There was something dripping from a doorframe, just enough movement and just the right viscosity for the display to notice it and draw the soldier’s attention. He advanced, keeping his arm steady as he went, and flicked his visor to darkvision with a slight tilt of his head as he went through the door. It would drain power faster, but he only needed a few moments if he could do this right.

The place had been a bookstore once, but anything of value was gone or trashed. The counter against one wall was smeared with something that absorbed even the small amount of light his visor was enhancing, and he turned towards it, ready to fire.

“Jack,” came Reaper’s voice, rough and gravelly. It sounded so unlike what it should, evidence of how very far gone the creature was. The soldier didn’t respond, just took another step, planting his foot. He could see the edge of Reaper’s body around the counter. “You gonna shoot me, Jack? After all we’ve been through?”

The soldier said nothing. Reaper always played these games, always had.

“Let’s run away together, Jack. Just you and me. No more fighting, no more guns.” As he spoke, there was a sharp movement of his arm and a shotgun came skittering across the floor. It was meaningless. The soldier knew Reaper could just draw more from within himself. “We used to be so good.”

“It was never good,” the soldier said, contempt coloring his words even through the distortion of the mask. “You’re deluding yourself.”

“I’m not trying to say it was perfect--”

“Get up,” the soldier said.

“Not gonna shoot me on the ground? Put me out of my misery like a feral dog?” Reaper asked. The soldier could see the pale mask now, turned towards him. Maybe Reaper was smiling behind it. “Or are you going to try to march me all the way to the proper authorities. Who are they this week?”

“Just get up.” The soldier jerked the nose of his rifle up. “On your feet.”

“I can’t,” Reaper said. “You shot me. I’m weak.”

“Liar.” The soldier stepped forward, until he was a pace away. He could see now that Reaper’s clawed glove was pressed to his stomach where Jack had shot him, holding in the oozing blood that crawled with black nanites. “You can heal faster than that.”

 

“I’ve had a rough week.” Reaper turned his mask slightly away, then reached up to grab for it.

“Don’t!” The soldier snapped, and Reaper’s hand paused.

“Don’t want to see my face?”

“No,” the soldier growled.

“Pity. I want to see yours,” Reaper said, then dropped his hand back to cover the bloody wounds on his stomach. “We don’t have to do this.”

“We--” the soldier started, then then was a soft click as his visor lost power entirely, leaving the world in front of him black as pitch. He could rip it off, try and rely on his broken eyes, but in the moment it seemed too much like capitulating to what Reaper supposedly wanted. The soldier cursed.

“What?” Reaper said, then came the soft sound of heavy fabric against the ground as he moved a little, followed by a laugh. “You’re not glowing. Dead battery? Don’t act like you don’t know where I am well enough to shoot anyway.”

It was true. The soldier’s gun was still raised and aimed. All he needed to do was squeeze the trigger.

“What’s the point if I can’t watch you die?” the soldier snarled, letting the muzzle of his rifle drop to face the floor. Reaper laughed again, but it turned into a groan. Maybe he was as hurt as he claimed or at least more hurt that the soldier had believed.

“I’ve known you for too long to think that you’re a killer like that, Jack,” Reaper said. Outside, the rain was picking up. The soldier turned his face back over his shoulder towards the sound. “I’m tired. I’m tired of fighting you. You’re not the one I’m trying to fight.”

“You’ve put yourself where my enemy stands,” Jack said. “Nobody else made that decision.”

“We should have talked,” came the reply, almost plaintive despite the gravel in the sound.

“There was plenty of time for talking. You didn’t take it.” With a sigh, Jack reached up to unclip the mask, letting it come away from his face. He could see light in front of him, the rough outline of the doorway, but when he turned back towards Reaper there were only shades of shadow that didn’t resolve into shapes. “It’s too late for talking now.”

“What, do you have your orders, soldier? Do you need to follow them?” Gabriel’s voice wasn’t right, but it was still him. “I know you’re your own master now.”

Jack shifted his weight to the other foot, his ears picking up the crunch of dirt on the floor. All his senses seemed to heighten when his eyes were gone.

“Poor choice of words,” Gabriel said. “All things considered.”

They’d left so many things unsaid. That cell had become a tomb for their ability to make things right, and neither had returned to try and breathe life into it again.

“I didn’t want things to be like this,” Jack said. “I didn’t mean for it to end like it did. But it’s too late now. Too many years. This isn’t the time to try and make it right.”

“Do you have somewhere better to be, old man?” Gabriel asked. Movement, a shift of dark on dark, and Jack guessed Gabriel had gestured. “I’m not going anywhere and you aren’t getting far without your eyes.”

“It’s too late,” Jack said, shaking his head. “If you’d wanted to fix things--”

“I would have what, Jack? I would have broken down your door when you refused to speak to me? I would have gone back in time and never made any mistakes? I wasn’t perfect, but you didn’t need to cast me as the villain in your whole life story.” The dull thud of a fist hitting wood made Jack tense. “I tried. I tried to make it right and there was never a chance before things fell apart. I’ll accept responsibility, but don’t tell me all this happened because I didn’t care about trying to fix it.”

Standing silent for a moment, Jack couldn’t bring himself to look towards the person in front of him. He’d always felt like they shouldn’t have needed words, that if they’d only been good enough for each other they’d have been able to muddle through. It wasn’t a lie that Gabriel had tried to make amends and Jack had rebuffed him, but it had been so raw, and then the momentum of everything happening with Overwatch had carried them further apart. It had been a current Jack hadn’t bothered to fight very hard.

“I’m tired,” he said, then reached a hand out to find the wall, slowly sinking down to sit at its base. He left his rifle across his knees. It would be wrong to let Reaper get away with everything just because he could appeal to Jack’s sentimentality, but… but Gabriel had been everything to him once. Maybe they could have made things right, if only circumstances hadn't driven a wedge between them.

“We don’t have to fight--” Gabriel started.

“What was there to say?” Jack demanded sharply, cutting him off. “What could you possibly say that made up for making me-- telling me I couldn’t say no.”

If Jack could see, he might have been able to pick up a flinch or a slight turn away. As it was, there was just absolute silence for several long moments.

“I’m sorry,” Gabriel said. “There’s no excuse.”

“Damn right,” Jack mumbled softly, looking down at the faint dark shape across his knees that was his rifle.

Neither one spoke for a minute or so, rain pounding outside, then Gabriel cleared his throat.

“I wanted a chance for forgiveness. I loved you. You didn’t owe me anything just because of that, but I did.”

Jack felt a tendril of regret unfurl in his chest. It wasn’t that the pain was less, but it was more distant now and he could see how his own refusal to let Gabriel even apologize must have hurt. A younger Jack might have hardened his heart to that consideration-- after all, Gabriel had been acting freely and deserved whatever he got.

Now, though, Jack just felt sad. There had never been a chance to heal for either of them, and even if that wound had been a clean break, it was better than this scarred mess that still bound them.

Outside, the sky lit up for a moment, lightning blossoming and then crackling into nothing. The thunder reverberated in Jack’s throat and he coughed, glancing up towards the ceiling.

“I should have let you talk to me,” Jack said softly. “It would have been better if we’d talked.”

“Probably,” Gabriel agreed. “I know why you didn’t, though. I hurt you. I was so caught up in trying to be this perfect spectacle that I never thought about what was too far-- for me or for you.”

“It would have been okay if everything else wasn’t going to shit at the same time,” Jack said, and he was surprised at the note of humor in his own voice. “We would have had time to let the drama play out.”

“Instead, you had to save the world--”

 

“--and you had to try and destroy it.” Jack let out a dry sound that could have been a laugh if he were more used to laughing. “God…”

They were quiet for a time, but there was less discomfort in the silence.

“Remember that night we talked about retiring to a farm with a dog?” Gabriel asked in the darkness.

“I think we said we were just going to run away. Hide our tracks so they couldn’t drag us back.”

Gabriel laughed. “Yeah, that sounds about right. I still… I still think about that. Just running.away from everything.”

“With me?”

There was quiet for a second, then Gabriel said, “Most of the time. When you haven’t been shooting at me lately.”

This time, Jack’s laugh actually came out, and Gabriel joined in. When they lapsed into quiet again, Jack said, “I’m too old for this.”

“Time to retire, then, Jack,” Gabriel said. “Hang it up. No one would blame you.”

“And leave you without anyone to fight?”

“There are plenty of other fights. Maybe we can let ours go and rest.”

They both laughed again, though this time it felt sharper in the darkness.

“You must be healed by now,” Jack said. “Why are you still here?”

Gabriel shifted in place, perhaps a shrug. “I missed you.”

“That was a mistake,” Jack said, shaking his head. He rocked back onto his heels, then stood. “I need to leave.”

“Where are you going to go? You’re blind and it’s raining,” Gabriel asked. “Sit down.”

Much as he wanted to argue, Jack knew Gabriel was right. He couldn’t make it far through unfamiliar territory. With the dawn would come enough light to charge his visor’s auxiliary power systems and at least get him somewhere he could finish topping off the battery. Until then, he was just a blind old man.

Sinking down to his knee again, Jack finally set his rifle down on the broken tile floor. It was within reach if he needed it, but with how silently Gabriel could move it was really more of a false comfort than anything.

“You sticking around too?” Jack asked.

“I’ll go if you would rather be alone--” Gabriel began.

“No.” Jack’s reply came quick and flat. “No, you can stay.”

The rain outside had lightened somewhat, though it rose and fell with the wind buffeting it this way and that. Jack guessed it would last the night and knew he would be up to find out. Lowering himself to a fully seated position again, he turned his face towards Gabriel.

“Rain’s gonna keep us here for awhile,” Jack said, spreading his empty hands over his knees. “Guess we’ve got a little while to catch up.”


End file.
